Monday, 10 December 2012

Golden Pints 2012

Time
to round up the year of drinking with the Golden Pints, something Andy Mogg and
I have been arranging for the last few years. Below are the categories we
always go with – feel free to add further categories to the end of your
responses. If you aren’t in the UK then just swap ‘UK’ in the categories for
wherever you are based. You can put single word answers down, top 3s or go into
long detail on each, whatever you prefer. Let’s get these up before the end of
the year. And use the image above.

Best UK Draught
Beer

Best UK Bottled
or Canned Beer

Best Overseas
Draught Beer

Best Overseas
Bottled or Canned Beer

Best Overall
Beer

Best Pumpclip or
Label

Best UK Brewery

Best Overseas
Brewery

Pub/Bar of the
Year

Beer Festival of
the Year

Supermarket of
the Year

Independent
Retailer of the Year

Online Retailer
of the Year

Best Beer Book
or Magazine

Best Beer Blog
or Website

Best Beer
Twitterer

Best Online
Brewery Presence

Food and Beer
Pairing of the Year

In 2013 I’d most
like to...

Open category –
you decide the topic

If
you want to give your submissions then paste them in the comments below or
email markdredge@gmail.com and I’ll
pull a few together and post them all.

Best Overall Beer - for sheer drinkability I think Buxton Moor Top has to get the gold this time around.

Best Label - I like what Tiny Rebel do.

Best UK Brewery - this is the worst one so I'm chickening out with a three way tie - Hawkshead, Summer Wine and RedWillow

Best Overseas Brewery - Emelisse and De La Senne (it's been a bit of a De La Senne year but they have really hit their stride in 2012)

Pub/Bar of the Year - Difficult not to say Port Street Beer House but I'm also giving aheads up to the Magnet in Stockport

Beer Festival of the Year - Both IMBC and Borefts were manic and amazing but for relaxed sociability in great surroundings I'm going for the Meibockfestival in Amsterdam.

Best Beer Book - the World Atlas of Beer.

Independent Retailer of the Year - well, I guess that will have to be the shop where I've spent the most money which will be the Bier Koning in Amsterdam.

Best Beer Blog - Tandleman is always good and I think both Beersay and Oh Good Ale are up there with the best.

In 2013 I'd most like to - start learning about French beer

Open category - I usually mention my "ones to watch", the previous two of which have been RedWillow and Quantum, both of whom have come good. Manchester's very new Privateer Brewery shows some serious promise but it's very early days. I'm also going to pick Most Underated Overseas Brewery (this is not remotely contrived) so I can flag up Belgium's de Dochter van de Korenaar which has quiety gone about making some seriously impressive and cutting edge beers while remaining resolutley under the radar.